Computer mediated imaginative storytelling in children with autism

The imaginative abilities of children on the autistic spectrum are reportedly impaired compared to typically developing children. This study explored computer mediated story construction in children with autism and typically developing peers. The purpose was to explore expressive writing ability, as a measure of imagination. Ten pairs of individually matched children (one typically developing and one child on the autistic spectrum) aged between seven and nine created reality and fantasy based stories using Bubble Dialogue software. The study provided a brief starting point for the stories, relying on the imaginative capabilities of the children to develop the stories beyond the story opening. The study contributes to the literature as an alternative to paper based studies of imagination given the known appeal of technology to most children, particularly children on the autistic spectrum (Gal et al., 2005). This study found that the children with autism were as able as the typically developing children to engage with the task, although qualitative differences in their responses were recorded. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.